


Jackson Street Gym

by seriestrash



Category: Andi Mack (TV), Tyrus - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 22:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16273913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seriestrash/pseuds/seriestrash
Summary: AU where Cyrus doesn’t know where TJ works and stumbles across him there by chance. Requested by an anon on my tumblr (@seriestrash)





	Jackson Street Gym

It’s Saturday morning and after staying up until the early AM working on a science project, Cyrus is not thrilled to be waking up only a few hours later. He’s even less enthused about his wakeup call being delivered by a five year old jumping on top of him. 

“Hi, Cy, Hi, Cy, Hi, Cy!” The young boy chants as he bounces on his knees on Cyrus’s bed. 

“Hi, Mason.” Cyrus sleepily greets his step brother. “When did you get here?” 

“Mommy just dropped me off.” Mason finally stops his jumping. 

Cyrus looks at the digital clock on his nightstand and groans at it only being a few minutes after six in the morning, meaning he barely got three hours sleep.  

“Dad and Leslie said we get to spend the day together and it’s going to be so much fun!” Mason excitedly hits Cyrus in the arm. 

“ _Yay._ ” Cyrus’s fake enthusiasm was not winning him any awards. 

Cyrus sleepily drags himself out of bed and into the kitchen where Leslie gives him a sympathetic smile as she pours him cereal. 

“I didn’t know Mase was coming over this weekend.” Cyrus was so tired that he missed his mouth after trying to take a mouthful of his breakfast. 

“Kelly’s sister went into labour early so she dropped him here.” Leslie explains why Mason is here on a weekend that he’d normally be with his mother.

* * *

 

“I’m getting a new baby cousin.” Mason is enthusiastic as he bounces around the kitchen. 

“Yeah you are, buddy,” Todd picks up Mason and spins him around, “Why don’t we put your bag in your room and let Cyrus have a chance to wake up properly?” 

“Okay.” Mason seems disappointed as Todd carries him out fo the room. 

“I know you were up late last night, Cookie but-” Leslie begins but Cyrus cuts in. 

“Nooo.” Cyrus groans. 

“Honey, I know but Todd and I both have patients all day.” Leslie looks apologetic. 

“I love Mason but he’s so exhausting,” Cyrus sighs, “And I’m already so exhausted.” 

“You could take him to the park or that kids gym on Jackson Street and he’ll tire himself out by lunch.” Leslie suggests. 

“That is some optimistic thinking.” Cyrus yawns knowing full well the chances of tiring out that pure energy ball were slim.

Cyrus gets dressed for the day as Mason was already eagerly nagging him about doing something fun. Cyrus had nothing against his energetic step brother it was just that they had very little in common - with him being five and all - and Mason was known to be spritely and considering Cyrus’s lack of sleep, the full on day did not sound ideal. 

Cyrus decides to take Mason to the Jackson Street Gym as it was a controlled environment and therefore easier to keep track of the bouncy kid. The two are walking down the street together when Mason spots the sign and runs ahead. 

“Be careful of the road!” Cyrus chases after him but is uncoordinated with his efforts and trips over, scraping both his palms up in his attempts to catch himself from falling.  

Cyrus picks himself up just as Mason barrels into the gym. Cyrus stops to assess his tender hands that were scraped pretty badly and beginning to bleed. Although his injuries stung, Cyrus has little time to stand around and think about them as he had to catch up with Mason. 

Once inside the gym, Cyrus freezes when he spots Mason bouncing up and down - nothing out of the ordinary there - what actually surprises Cyrus is the person bouncing along excitedly with him. It’s none other than TJ Kippen. Scary turned not-so-scary basketball guy. Or, super-kind-to-me-but-not-always-to-Buffy basketball guy. A concept which leaves Cyrus conflicted about their friendship now that Buffy has moved away. 

In a panic Cyrus takes a purposeful dive behind a stack of safety mats. Once crouched behind them, Cyrus begins to wonder just what his plan was, what was next? He’d hide there forever and abandon Mason? Hope TJ leaves before Mason questions where he is? Cyrus is dwelling over his lack of viable choices when two familiar faces peek around the mats to look at him. 

“Hey, Underdog.” TJ says with a crooked smirk. 

“Whatcha doing, Cy?” Mason questions. 

“Hi,” Cyrus says still in his crouched position with a little wave, “I was just playing hide and seek. Mase, you win..” He offers up unconvincingly. 

“Hey, did you hurt yourself?” TJ asks concerned after noticing Cyrus’s injury when he waved. 

Cyrus faces his palms towards himself, both of which were still bleeding. “Oh,” Cyrus says as he gets to his feet, “I just tripped over outside, it’s nothing.”

“Hey, Mason, why don’t you go play with some of the other kids and I’ll help your clumsy brother here clean up?” TJ says with a smirk meant for Cyrus although it was pointed at the younger boy. 

Mason happily joins in with the other younglings and TJ leads Cyrus to the back after telling one of the older workers he was helping a friend out. The two teens are inside the staff room where TJ wets some paper towel and helps Cyrus clean his palms gently. 

“So what’s the verdict, am I going to make it?” Cyrus asks. 

“I think you’ll survive.” TJ says with a chuckle as he throws away the damp paper towel. He then takes Cyrus’s hands and looks over his palms again. “We have some decorative band-aids if that will make you feel better?”

“I wouldn’t say no to something with dinosaurs on it...” Cyrus jokingly fakes being sheepish. 

TJ wears a knowing look as he reaches for the first aid kit. Then he rather excitedly reveals a box of band-aids. Cyrus’s mouth hangs agape and he takes the small box in his hands, “They’re shaped like little tyrannosaurus rexes.” 

“For your dino-sores.” TJ laughs softly as he takes the box and points to the pun on the label. 

“Well I’d hate to bleed out.” Cyrus says goofily and he holds out his palms. TJ obliges and places a green dinosaur band-aid on each of Cyrus’s scrapes. 

“There, all better.” TJ says with a grin. 

Cyrus is smiling at the decorative dino on each palm when TJ continues, “I didn’t know you had a little brother?” 

“Step brother technically,” Cyrus explains, “But yeah, we’ve been brothers since he was one.” 

“So you two must be pretty close then?” TJ asks.

“Not exactly.” Cyrus frowns. “We don’t have much in common.” 

TJ laughs at this, “Cyrus, he’s five, you’re not supposed to have stuff in common, you’re supposed to have fun.” 

“I suppose working at a kids gym makes you the expert?” Cyrus folds his arms. 

“It helps,” TJ laughs, “And so does having younger siblings myself.” 

“You do?” Cyrus asks. 

“Yep, twins, a boy and a girl, making for the most hyperactive duo. I also have an older sister so I have experience being the younger sibling too.” TJ explains. 

“I did not know you came from a big family.” Cyrus says, “I also didn’t know you worked here.” 

“And here I was thinking you were stalking me.” TJ jokes. 

“You’re full of surprises, TJ.” Cyrus says with a titled head and fixed gaze causing TJ to look away nervously. 

“Mason seemed pretty excited when he first got here.” TJ tries to shift focus off himself. 

“Mason is excited about everything.” Cyrus states with a laugh.

“Maybe so, but he was particularly excited about having- how did he put it?” TJ pauses for a second and smiles, “Super mega fun time with his big brother.” 

“He said that?” Cyrus asks with a smile. 

“In his eyes, you’re the coolest person he knows.” TJ pats Cyrus on the shoulder. 

“He clearly doesn’t know a lot of people.” Cyrus scoffs and TJ rolls his eyes at Cyrus’s negativity.  

“From one big brother to another, they all think we’re the coolest.” TJ leans in closer like he was letting Cyrus in on a secret. 

“You’re also a little brother too.” Cyrus highlights with a raised brow, “Is your sister the coolest person you know?” 

“God no,” TJ scoffs, “I’m old enough to know better,” He laughs, “She takes _way_ too long in the bathroom.” 

Cyrus chuckles along at this.

“So.” TJ says nervously after the room falls silent, “I should get back to work.” 

“You probably should.” Cyrus laughs with a nod. 

“There’s a parents room out the back where the mom’s and dad’s all sit around and read magazines or talk about their kids,” TJ explains with a look of boredom, “But you’re welcome to hang out the front with me and Mason and about a dozen other kids.” 

“Is that allowed?” Cyrus questions. 

“Of course.” TJ nods. “You could maybe finish that game of hide and seek?” 

Cyrus’s cheek burn red under TJ’s knowing look. 

“If I was an insecure guy I might have thought you were avoiding me.” TJ adds more sheepishly. 

“What, why would I be avoiding you?” Cyrus scoffs dramatically although he intended for it to be casual.

TJ and Cyrus make their way back out into the gym where Mason pounces on Cyrus. With TJ’s comment about not having to have things in common rather just have fun in Cyrus’s mind, he lets himself enjoy the quality time with his brother. It also wasn’t terrible spending the day with TJ either, more so _very_ enjoyable and any guilt Cyrus felt about Buffy was lost in the moment. 

After some fun and games - and a whole lot of chasing Mason around - Cyrus is beginning to feel his three hours of sleep catch up with him. 

“Does this place have a nap time?” Cyrus asks with a yawn. 

“It’s a gym, Underdog, not a daycare.” TJ laughs, “Why are you so tired?”

“I stayed up late working on my science project.” Cyrus explains. 

“But that’s due on Monday?” TJ wears a quizzical look. “You stayed up all night on a Friday to work on an assignment that isn’t due until Monday?” 

“Yes?” Cyrus is confused over what the big deal was. “I’ve been working on it all week, I just put the finishing touches on it last night.. Or this morning depending how you look at at...” 

“I haven't even started mine.” TJ shrugs nonchalantly with a laugh. 

Cyrus winces at this, it hurt his academic achieving ways. 

“Going by the look on your face I’d say I better start it tonight and not leave it until tomorrow like I had planned?” TJ chuckles. 

“I think that’s a good plan.” Cyrus nods with a smile. 

Mason joins the pair of teens and tugs on Cyrus’s arm. 

“Hey, Mason, are you getting tired yet, you maybe want to go home?” Cyrus looks at the boy hopefully. 

“No!” Mason runs a circle around TJ and Cyrus. 

“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Cyrus frowns sleepily. “I think I might just sit down for a little bit and watch.” 

Cyrus walks over to one of the foam cubes in the room and sits down, tucking his head up on his arms on top of the cube, “You have fun, Mase.” 

“Ni, ni, Cy.” Mason gently pats Cyrus’s hair before returning to play. 

TJ watches and lets out a quiet laugh at the very tired Cyrus. “Dork.” He says to himself before addressing the children running around, “Who wants to play the sneaky, creepy, quiet game?” 

Various shouts of expressed interest to play come from all the children. TJ wears a wide smile as he places his index finger over his mouth. All the kids quiet down and TJ invents a new game for everyone to play, one that just so happens to allow Cyrus to comfortably snooze in the corner of the room. 


End file.
